After a while, Lamb opens the front door (which makes a slight jingle as the attached jar bounces against it), and motions for Wolf to stand up. "We saw him last at the big church, shall we start our search there?" Without waiting for reply, she already moves in that direction.
"About time you were done. I was bored." Wolf says, and pads on after her.
Jester follows with his gaze as the two approach. Once they are out of sight he jumps up and listens down the stairs if they come up. He looks around what are his escape options.
wolf sniffs the air to see if he smells anything untoward, or Jester.
"Was that door open already"?
Lamb cocks her head."I don't believe so, Wolf. Go and check it out."
Wolf walks up to the door and the room beyond. At the bottom of the stairs he barks "Little Dragon?"
Jester flinches and ducks but doesn't answer.
Lamb walks up to the doorstep. "Go check upstairs, I'll keep looking down here."
Wolf pads up the stairs...
Jester hears wolfs claws tick on the stairs as he comes up. He backs away from the stairs towards the opening. As wolf comes into sight he demands "Stop right there."
Wolf turns his head towards Jester, but does stop moving. "Here you are, little dragon"
"You tell me! Who are you for realz - and why does your kin create such a bloodbath!" Jester asks making a stand.
In reality Jester is lucky to wear no pants. So he at least can't shit them. He tries not to tremble.
"We are the... how does Lamb say it?" His nose wrinkles. "This is hard. She can explain it better. Want to come down to her?"
"No." Jester replies tersely.
Wolf pauses half-way into turning around to go back down again, and turns back to Jester. "eh..."
He pauses for a moment, looking at jester.
"Why are you scared?" Wolf asks. "Lamb is better with words, she can explain it better. You don't have to be afraid of her."
"That's what you say." Jester replies not moving an inch.
"Well. We... Chase. No, I chase. Lamb sings. We..." Wolf's nose wrinkes again as he tries to think what he's trying to say.
Seeing Wolf struggle with the words makes Jester relax. And as this seems to take a while he sits down.
"Lamb always says we are kin. Then she says words. Words words words." Wolf grins a silly toothy smile as if he actually remembered what Lamb always says, and sits down with a wagging tail.
That's what it looks when he goes crazy? Jester asks himself. "Yes, you are kin. And everyone has to meet you. And stories about hacking oneself in two. That's what Lamb tells."
"But I want an explanation I can understand." Jester complains - desperation showing in his voice.
Lamb calls from down the stairs: "Dear Wolf? What are you doing up there?"
Wolf looks down and then back to Jester. "If you're scared of Lamb, I can keep her downstairs."
Jester would liek to reply 'I'm not afraid of anyone.' but that would be a blatant lie. And too easy to see through. "Not more than I'm afraid of you. Maybe she can explain what you are."
But he gets up again and tenses.
"okay," Wolf says, still not understanding why Jester is scared of Lamb. Or him. "The little dragon is up here, Lamb, but he's afraid as if we're chasing him. So come up calmly and do your words."
Lamb navigates the stairs up, noticing that there's less blood on the walls here. As she comes to the top, she sits down on the pre-last step. "Hello little Jester."
"Now st..." Jester demands but that's stupid. Lamb is not coming any closer. Another try "Tell me who you are and why you're kin with whoever made this bloodbath down there." Jester is visibly nervous.
Lamb cocks her head, obviously thinking as she regards Jester. "I am Lamb, and this is Wolf. We are Kin. I'm not sure who made this bloodbath down here, but it could be an aspect of the Harvester, the End of all things. It could be other things as well though, and I'm not sure it's safe." Her voice is soothing in its earie, sing-song notes.
This drives Jester crazy. He considers leaving just now and just running to the horizon. "How can you be so calm. And who is this Harvester? Are you a harvester? Can't you tell me in simple words I can understand?"
Lamb thinks for a moment."I am calm, because I always am. It is my role next to Wolf." She runs her hand over his head and smiles at him lovingly. "The Harvester is like a legend. A story, but with a truth to it. A tall pale man in black robes wielding a scyhte, in some cultures. A being of light to guide the souls of the dead to the next plane, in others. Armoured, winged women to bring the slain to the Eternal plains, in yet another culture."
She looks at Jester, and lowers her voice slightly as she calmly continues. "A Lamb and a Wolf in other cultures. The Lamb to end those who go willingly, and a Wolf to chase down those who resist. All things must meet their end eventually, and we are it. Or, at least, an aspect of it."
She looks again at Jester, and smiles encouragingly.
"Do you understand now?"
Jester follows this lengthy explanation nodding here and there and it sounds all convincing only at the end he gets confused again. "So are you killing them or not?"
Lamb nods and smiles, happy that Jester seems to be 'getting it'. Not realizing that this may not be what Jester wanted to hear. "Yes, we do. When their time has come."
Jester doesn't really like the answer. "Who gets to decide if one's time is come?" he inquires.
"Sometimes we do." She gestures at Wolf and herself.
"Sometimes they decide for themselves," She smiles "And sometimes, the gods themselves seem to want to have a say in things."
"That's no answer at all." Jester complains as this start to make his head to hurt again.
"Perhaps it helps to know we don't think it is your time yet." Lamb says.
"You told me that already. But how do you know?" Jester inquires.
She shrugs. "It is what we do. Besides, you're young. And you're our companion."
"That means I won't die because of that?" Jester asks still suspicious.
"Not if we can help it. But we're not the only aspect of the Harvester."
"I see." Jester replies. "So I'm going to die anyway." With a sad look he looks behind himself.
and with a sudden move walks over the edge plunging from the tower.
Gliding down with vestigal wings as with featherfall
Lamb is surprised at first, but then smiles as she looks over the lip of the tower and sees Jester standing there unharmed.
Wolf yelps in surprise as Jester steps over the edge and rushes to it. HE is relieved to see Jester unharmed.
At Jester's challenge, he grins. "Can't let him win that, little Lamb."
He lets out a long, joyous howl before rushing down the stairs and on to the little house.
Lamb races after Wolf as fast as she can, giggling most of the way.
Jester makes good use of his head start and chases down the road.
Wolf comes to the house second, only to find Jester already inside. He lets out a barking laugh and jumps on Jester, trying to give him a little playful push with his snout.
"Haha haha stop it haha it tickles haha haha take your cold wet nose away!" Jester demands trying to push him off with all four legs.
Wolf takes a step back, and then sits down with a big bump on the floor. He gives a toothy grin.